Elevating exercise bicycle

ABSTRACT

An Elevating Exercise Bicycle for fitness and amusement ride in one with vertical motion having occupant-seating station with frame attached to a structural support base through an articulating member providing angular rotation about lower pivot pins to create constant pitching angle for occupant-seating station and vertical motion. Hydraulic system powered by occupant&#39;s energy via foot pedal and chain drive system to the pump unit, increased the pressure inside the system. The pressure transferred from pump to the main actuator, extending the piston rod and caused articulating member to rotate. Each cycle of workout for occupant can be preset to required level.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates generally to the field of fitness industries that simulate exercise bicycle ride and amusement rides with ascending motion.

In particular “Elevating Exercise Bicycle” provides independent speed and resistance control of upward and pre-adjusted comfortable lowering speed.

2. Prior Art

Existing exercise bicycles for workout and training are well known in the art. Conventional type bicycle simulators for use by the fitness industries and gym are stationary and simple. Elevating Exercise Bicycle offers movement of amusement ride and workout equipment in one. A typical system employs occupant seat with restraint seat belt to prevent accident at the elevated position during the exercise. The seat assembly is mounted on the tubular bicycle frame attached to the parallelogram mechanism to maintain upright position of the occupant back rest on various level. The seat pitching angle changed some degree when reach the top most level of the ride to create some excitement. The upper and lower arm of parallelogram are mounted to base frame on one ends and to the bicycle frame on the other ends. The mounting locations of the actuators is determined in geometrical configuration, engineering tradeoffs, equation of motion and safety point of view to be used for the simulation. Three actuator systems for triangular pattern is the minimum on the sophisticated motion base system offering multiple axes of motion. For Elevating Exercise Bicycle, one actuator is required to perform lifting function and one additional actuator is installed to serve as safety cylinder. This cylinder has no lifting capacity.

The cost and complexity for this hydraulic system and frame structure is relative inexpensive for fitness industry and amusement field of applications. The initial and operating cost is in the same level as treadmill and other cardio equipment. In particular in the field of amusement rides, the vertical motion providing excitement and fulfill the purpose as workout machine. The conventional type of exercise bicycle does not offer this kind of function which will attracts the occupant to spent longer time on the equipment for the sake of their health.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The Ascending Exercise Bicycle of the invention incorporates a seating, pedaling system, control and instrument panel. The arrangement of the pedaling and seating is the same as the stationary exercise bicycle. They can be adjusted in vertical and horizontal direction to serve each individual occupant. Pedaling resistance is also adjustable to match the required load preferred by individual occupant via flow control valve.

The hydraulic pump installed behind the occupant seat frame and driven by the pedestal via roller chain and sprocket arrangement. The reduction ratio between drive sprocket and driven sprocket at pump shaft to be tested for proper force required to applied on the pedal. Flexible pressure hose connected from pump pressure port to the bottom end of the main hydraulic actuator is furnished with flow control and check valve. Pressure relief valve on the return line to hydraulic oil reservoir is also connected to the bottom end port of the main actuator. The upper port of actuator is open to the atmosphere or furnish with silencer if needed. When operator starts to spin the pedals, hydraulic pump creates oil pressure feeding oil into main actuator. The main actuator rod gradually extend and lifting the upper arm of the parallelogram mechanism. The operator seat frame, that is attached to the upper and lower arm of this mechanism subsequently, moved upward and continues all the way to the end of actuator stroke.

The full cycle time for this workout to be set from start to the end in about one half of an hour. The purpose of the second actuator is to provide safety to the operator in case of main actuator failure caused by hydraulic lines rupture. Two parallel lines connected between the lower port and upper port of the auxiliary actuator. One line furnished with check valve to prevent oil flow from lower port to upper port but free flow from top to the bottom. On the other line furnished with flow control valve to control flow rate in both directions. The purpose of this arrangement is to reduce the lowering speed in case of main actuator failure. The second actuator is always filled with hydraulic oil for proper function. The lifting height as designed is about four feet from the home position. To lower the seat frame down to the home position, operator need to activate the pressure relief valve switch located on the instrument panel to drain oil from main actuator lower port back to the reservoir. Auxiliary actuator not to exceed predetermined set up controls the lowering speed.

To obtain the stability, rigidity and torsional stiffness of the bicycle frame, upper and lower arm are designed using A-frame principle and tubular member. The bicycle frame is also fabrucated from structural tubing.

Having now described the invention in detail as required by the patent statutes, those skilled in the art will recognize modifications and substitutions to the elements of the embodiments shown. Such modifications and substitutions are within the scope and intent of the invention as defined in the following claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Details of the invention will be clearly understood with reference to the followings:

FIG. 1 is the side elevation view fully enclosed of the first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is the side elevation cross section showing mechanical arrangement and equipment installation.

FIG. 3 is the top view of the first embodiment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is the rear view of the first embedment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is the hydraulic schematic of the power and safety system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 discloses the embodiment of the invention for a single seat Elevating Exercise Bicycle. The bicycle frame 1 incorporates the seat and adjustment members 2, pedaling assembly 3, hydraulic pump 4, hydraulic cylinders 13, 14 and handle bar 5. The inclined vertical tubular member on bicycle frame that support seat assembly 2 is in turn supported by upper arm 6 and lower arm 7 via connecting pins 8, 9 to allow angular movement of the frame 1. Rear ends of the upper arm 6 and lower arm 7 are also attached to the base frame 11 through the connecting pins 29 and 31. The top mounting points of the two linear actuators 21, 16 are at the mid of the upper arm 6 and the bottom at base frame member 11. The main actuator or cylinder 13 is controlled by flow control valve to obtain required pedal resistance and timing for each work out cycle. Hydraulic cylinder piston rod gradually extended to the end of the stroke, lifting the bicycle frame to the top by mean of the hydraulic pressure from hydraulic pump 4. Energy input to the hydraulic pump gained from operator by cranking the pedal of drive sprocket 3, 28. The hydraulic pump chain drive is arranged in the same manner as on the ordinary bicycle. The roller chain 17 can be adjusted at the hydraulic pump mounting plate integrated to the bicycle frame 1. At the home position, the bicycle frame 1 rests on the frame support stop 18.

-   -   For safety point of view and neat appearance, the mechanical         parts and base frame 11 are enclosed by enclosures 25, 26, 27         and anchored to the floor at four corners 22. Hydraulic oil tank         19 is bolted on the base frame below the hydraulic cylinders.     -   On FIG. 2 shows the seat location on both home position and top         position when hydraulic cylinder is fully extended or at the end         of work cycle. 

1. An elevating exercise bicycle comprising: An Occupant Seating for one occupant and handle bar with lowering control lever operable by the occupant. A Lifting Arm Assembly is an A-frame assembly that comprises upper and lower lifting arms, interconnecting Bicycle Frame and a Base Frame. Hydraulic cylinders comprise the main and auxiliary cylinders, attached to an upper lifting arm providing rotation of a Lifting Arm Assembly about lower pivot ends. A-frame type Lifting Arm Assembly acts as a parallelogram mechanism. Bicycle Frame that attached to the other ends of the Lifting Arm Assembly moved vertically up and down without noticeable change in pitch angle. Main Cylinder and Auxiliary Cylinder interconnected Lifting Arm Assembly and the Base Frame. Hydraulic pressure supplied to the Main hydraulic cylinder by hydraulic pump driven by occupant via drive chain arrangement. A Bicycle Frame rigidly connected to the handle bar and occupant seat. Drive sprocket and Pedal assembly are installed at the lower part of the Bicycle Frame. Hydraulic pump is also attached to the rear end of this frame. A Base Frame is a support structure anchored to a floor for stability, connected via pivot pins to Lifting Arm Assembly. Hydraulic tank is housed inside the Base Frame.
 2. Main Cylinder and Auxiliary Cylinder as defined in claim 1, the function of Main Cylinder is to actuate Lifting Arm Assembly and subsequently moving occupant seating up during exercise. An Auxiliary Cylinder serves as safety cylinder, in case of Main Cylinder fails or hydraulic line ruptured. A lowering speed of the Lifting Arm can be preset by adjusting release valve at the bottom of the cylinder. 